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At least 37 records · Page 2

Celestial Mapping System for Lunar Surface Mapping and Analytics

Celestial Mapping System (CMS) is a software platform to generate virtual 3D globe for celestial bodies within our solar system. Various layers are built on top of the virtual globe to provide visualization of high resolution imagery, enable precise measurements, build analytical capabilities and broad range of functionalities to assist planetary scientists and mission planners. CMS is built using OpenJDK 11 and will run on a wide variety of platforms such as Linux, Windows, OSX, etc. It has a thick client with less overhead to access hardware resources. This allows features such as terrain profiling and distance calculations to be performed on the client and on the fly. The present focus of CMS is on developing lunar mapping tool kits to provide features such as - 3D first person view with zoom and navigational capabilities, realistic terrain visualization based on LRO data, measurement tools, Apollo landing site annotations, stereoscopic view, elevation profiles, line of sight analysis and many more. The application is developed to provide situational and domain awareness on Lunar surface, planning capabilities for equipment placements and traverse path optimization. As data becomes available, CMS has the capabilities to integrate data sets that change dynamically in real-time, which will be useful for monitoring satellites and remotely-sensed data on Lunar surface. CMS utilizes NASA WorldWind Java library and OpenGL to achieve high-performance rendering of data and measurements, and also adheres to OGC standards. CMS supports importing synthetic features in a variety of 3D, 2D, vector and raster formats. Nomenclature is pulled from USGS Moon IAU2000 database, and lunar parameters are based of the standardized IAU2000 Moon ellipsoid. GDAL (Geospatial Data Abstraction Library) was used to modify and test the accuracy of datasets before integrating into the application. Our high-resolution global elevation model was compared with the LRO LOLA DEM elevation values and tested to ensure accuracy. Celestial Mapping System has several potential use cases for NASA including subsurface lava tubes visualization and analysis, soil analysis, resource visualization and representation on 3D globe.

GIS system↗

Uncertainty-Informed Volume Visualization using Implicit Neural Representation

The increasing adoption of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) has led to their application in many challenging scientific visualization tasks. While advanced DNNs offer impressive generalization capabilities, understanding factors such as model prediction quality, robustness, and uncertainty is crucial. These insights can enable domain scientists to make informed decisions about their data. However, DNNs inherently lack ability to estimate prediction uncertainty, necessitating new research to construct robust uncertainty-aware visualization techniques tailored for various visualization tasks. In this work, we propose uncertainty-aware implicit neural representations to model scalar field data sets effectively and comprehensively study the efficacy and benefits of estimated uncertainty information for volume visualization tasks. We evaluate the effectiveness of two principled deep uncertainty estimation techniques: (1) Deep Ensemble and (2) Monte Carlo Dropout (MC-Dropout). These techniques enable uncertainty-informed volume visualization in scalar field data sets. Our extensive exploration across multiple data sets demonstrates that uncertainty-aware models produce informative volume visualization results. Moreover, integrating prediction uncertainty enhances the trustworthiness of our DNN model, making it suitable for robustly analyzing and visualizing real-world scientific volumetric data sets.

Saklani, Shanu↗

Man-Machine Integration Design and Analysis System (MIDAS) v5: Augmentations, Motivations, and Directions for Aeronautics Applications

As automation and advanced technologies are introduced into transport systems ranging from the Next Generation Air Transportation System termed NextGen, to the advanced surface transportation systems as exemplified by the Intelligent Transportations Systems, to future systems designed for space exploration, there is an increased need to validly predict how the future systems will be vulnerable to error given the demands imposed by the assistive technologies. One formalized approach to study the impact of assistive technologies on the human operator in a safe and non-obtrusive manner is through the use of human performance models (HPMs). HPMs play an integral role when complex human-system designs are proposed, developed, and tested. One HPM tool termed the Man-machine Integration Design and Analysis System (MIDAS) is a NASA Ames Research Center HPM software tool that has been applied to predict human-system performance in various domains since 1986. MIDAS is a dynamic, integrated HPM and simulation environment that facilitates the design, visualization, and computational evaluation of complex man-machine system concepts in simulated operational environments. The paper will discuss a range of aviation specific applications including an approach used to model human error for NASA s Aviation Safety Program, and what-if analyses to evaluate flight deck technologies for NextGen operations. This chapter will culminate by raising two challenges for the field of predictive HPMs for complex human-system designs that evaluate assistive technologies: that of (1) model transparency and (2) model validation.

Gore, Brian F.↗

Computer interfaces for the visually impaired

Information access via computer terminals extends to blind and low vision persons employed in many technical and nontechnical disciplines. Two aspects are detailed of providing computer technology for persons with a vision related handicap. First, research into the most effective means of integrating existing adaptive technologies into information systems was made. This was conducted to integrate off the shelf products with adaptive equipment for cohesive integrated information processing systems. Details are included that describe the type of functionality required in software to facilitate its incorporation into a speech and/or braille system. The second aspect is research into providing audible and tactile interfaces to graphics based interfaces. Parameters are included for the design and development of the Mercator Project. The project will develop a prototype system for audible access to graphics based interfaces. The system is being built within the public domain architecture of X windows to show that it is possible to provide access to text based applications within a graphical environment. This information will be valuable to suppliers to ADP equipment since new legislation requires manufacturers to provide electronic access to the visually impaired.

Higgins, Gerry↗

GridCoPilot for Thermal Events: An LLM-Based Platform for Power Grid Reliability Analysis

Large Language Models show promise for translating natural language into database queries, but deploying such systems in safety-critical domains requires high reliability. We present an application of GridCoPilot to thermal event analysis (heatwaves and coldwaves) that affect power grid reliability. Our approach uses a LangChain SQL Agent to translate natural language queries into auditable SQL statements, with deterministic visualization routines that parse the structured query results. We introduce structural framing as a design principle, we integrate a NERC-region-level event library with county-level meteorology and decompose the combined data into three relational tables (event metadata, county-level event details, and a county-to-NERC subregion mapping), using prompt-guided joins to direct the model toward correct multi-table queries. For two core analytical patterns (identifying worst events by region and by region-year), the system achieved 100% SQL accuracy across all 16 NERC subregions and both event types (64 queries total). These results validate the approach for target use cases, though performance on diverse natural language formulations requires further investigation. We discuss design trade-offs, failure modes including JSON output truncation, and pathways for extending this approach to other hazard domains.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Optical Control of Adaptive Nanoscale Domain Networks

Adaptive networks can sense and adjust to dynamic environments to optimize their performance. Understanding their nanoscale responses to external stimuli is essential for applications in nanodevices and neuromorphic computing. However, it is challenging to image such responses on the nanoscale with crystallographic sensitivity. Here, the evolution of nanodomain networks in (PbTiO 3 ) n /(SrTiO 3 ) n superlattices (SLs) is directly visualized in real space as the system adapts to ultrafast repetitive optical excitations that emulate controlled neural inputs. The adaptive response allows the system to explore a wealth of metastable states that are previously inaccessible. Their reconfiguration and competition are quantitatively measured by scanning x-ray nanodiffraction as a function of the number of applied pulses, in which crystallographic characteristics are quantitatively assessed by assorted diffraction patterns using unsupervised machine-learning methods. The corresponding domain boundaries and their connectivity are drastically altered by light, holding promise for light-programable nanocircuits in analogy to neuroplasticity. Phase-field simulations elucidate that the reconfiguration of the domain networks is a result of the interplay between photocarriers and transient lattice temperature. The demonstrated optical control scheme and the uncovered nanoscopic insights open opportunities for the remote control of adaptive nanoscale domain networks.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Using the GeoFEST Faulted Region Simulation System

GeoFEST (the Geophysical Finite Element Simulation Tool) simulates stress evolution, fault slip and plastic/elastic processes in realistic materials, and so is suitable for earthquake cycle studies in regions such as Southern California. Many new capabilities and means of access for GeoFEST are now supported. New abilities include MPI-based cluster parallel computing using automatic PYRAMID/Parmetis-based mesh partitioning, automatic mesh generation for layered media with rectangular faults, and results visualization that is integrated with remote sensing data. The parallel GeoFEST application has been successfully run on over a half-dozen computers, including Intel Xeon clusters, Itanium II and Altix machines, and the Apple G5 cluster. It is not separately optimized for different machines, but relies on good domain partitioning for load-balance and low communication, and careful writing of the parallel diagonally preconditioned conjugate gradient solver to keep communication overhead low. Demonstrated thousand-step solutions for over a million finite elements on 64 processors require under three hours, and scaling tests show high efficiency when using more than (order of) 4000 elements per processor. The source code and documentation for GeoFEST is available at no cost from Open Channel Foundation. In addition GeoFEST may be used through a browser-based portal environment available to approved users. That environment includes semi-automated geometry creation and mesh generation tools, GeoFEST, and RIVA-based visualization tools that include the ability to generate a flyover animation showing deformations and topography. Work is in progress to support simulation of a region with several faults using 16 million elements, using a strain energy metric to adapt the mesh to faithfully represent the solution in a region of widely varying strain.

Geophyical Finite Element Simulation Tool (GeoFEST↗

Towards Design Principles for Visual Analytics in Operations Contexts

Operations engineering teams interact with complex data systems to make technical decisions that ensure the operational efficacy of their missions. To support these decision-making tasks, which may require elastic prioritization of goals dependent on changing conditions, custom analytics tools are often developed. We were asked to develop such a tool by a team at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where rover telecom operators make decisions based on models predicting how much data rovers can transfer from the surface of Mars. Through research, design, implementation, and informal evaluation of our new tool, we developed principles to inform the design of visual analytics systems in operations contexts. We offer these principles as a step towards understanding the complex task of designing these systems. The principles we present are applicable to designers and developers tasked with building analytics systems in domains that face complex operations challenges such as scheduling, routing, and logistics.

Lombeyda, Santiago↗

A Space and Atmospheric Visualization Science System

SAVS (a Space and Atmospheric Visualization Science system) is an integrated system with user-friendly functionality that employs a 'push-button' software environment that mimics the logical scientific processes in data acquisition, reduction, analysis, and visualization. All of this is accomplished without requiring a detailed understanding of the methods, networks, and modules that link the tools and effectively execute the functions. This report describes SAVS and its components, followed by several applications based on generic research interests in interplanetary and magnetospheric physics (IMP/ISTP), active experiments in space (CRRES), and mission planning focused on the earth's thermospheric, ionospheric, and mesospheric domains (TIMED). The final chapters provide a user-oriented description of interface functionalities, hands-on operations, and customized modules, with details of the primary modules presented in the appendices. The overall intent of the report is to reflect the accomplishments of the three-year development effort and to introduce potential users to the power and utility of the integrated data acquisition, analysis, and visualization system.

Szuszczewicz, E. P.↗

Interactive Framework to Support Open Model-Data Validation Efforts at the CCMC

Validation of models using observation data has been a central activity at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) over more than a decade. The Comprehensive Assessment of Models and Events using Library Tools (CAMEL) framework is a database-driven implementation of the interactive analysis of model-data comparisons that simultaneously provides a view across a multitude of locations and time periods. CAMEL thus extends the single-location or single-trajectory timeseries data comparison capabilities provided by the CCMC online visualization that formed the backbone of initial validation efforts. We demonstrate CAMEL capabilities for an example application to study Neutral Density in the upper atmosphere among comparisons in the heliosphere, the Earth’s radiation belt, magnetosphere, and ionosphere-thermosphere-mesosphere domains.

Lutz Rastaetter↗

Celestial Mapping System and Digital Lunar Library Initiative

We are preparing to create an interactive, global 3D lunar environment with integrated dataset and AI/ML tools to provide unique value to mission planners, scientists and the entire lunar community. This lunar environment will be based on NASA Ames Celestial Mapping System (CMS) [1] and Digital Lunar Library (DLL) Initiative. CMS provides a 3D virtual Lunar Globe with extensive user friendly tool sets, that include high resolution terrain visualization, elevation profiles, measurement kits, slope analysis, path optimization, line of sight analysis, equipment planning and placement tools and many other functionalities [1]. It has a thick client with less overhead to access hardware resources. This allows features such as terrain profiling and distance calculations to be performed on the client and on the fly. The application is developed to provide situational and domain awareness on the Lunar surface, planning capabilities for equipment placements and traverse path optimization. As data becomes available, CMS has the capabilities to integrate data sets that change dynamically in real-time, which will be useful for monitoring satellites and remotely-sensed data on the Lunar surface. CMS supports importing synthetic features in a variety of 3D, 2D, vector and raster formats. In the future, these capabilities will be enhanced by incorporating AI/ML tools and a plug-in architecture to enable customization by the user groups. With the help of DLL we will be able to : 1) Amplify the value of lunar information with AI-powered data enhancements 2) Acquire and integrate lunar data with AI-assisted georectification and homogenization 3) Analyze lunar data with advanced 3D visualization, intelligent search-by-example 4) Apply lunar data insights to specific use cases with an open plug-in architecture. The CMS-DLL initiative will have several potential use cases for NASA and the lunar community in general, including subsurface lava tube visualization and analysis, soil analysis, in-situ lunar resource visualization and representation on 3D globe, and data analytics for utilization. REFERENCES: [1] https://celestial.arc.nasa.gov/

3D Globe↗

EnergyPlus Model Context Protocol Server (EnergyPlus-MCP) v0.1

EnergyPlus-MCP is the first open-source Model Context Protocol server specifically designed for EnergyPlus building energy simulation. This innovative software enables AI assistants and other applications to interact programmatically with EnergyPlus through a standardized, secure interface, eliminating traditional technical barriers in building energy modeling. The software provides specialized tools across five functional domains: server management, model configuration and loading, comprehensive building component inspection, systematic model modification, and simulation execution with results visualization. Key features include automated HVAC system discovery and topology mapping, advanced schedule analysis, intelligent model validation, and interactive visualization capabilities. EnergyPlus-MCP's layered architecture ensures robust separation between protocol communication and domain expertise, enabling scalable deployment across organizations, educational institutions, and research teams. Unlike direct LLM approaches that suffer from inconsistent results and security gaps, EnergyPlus-MCP provides validated, reliable interactions while maintaining scientific rigor. This democratizes sophisticated building energy analysis, making EnergyPlus accessible to broader audiences through conversational interfaces and streamlined workflows.

Li, Han [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LB↗

Lightfall v0.0.1

Lightfall is a desktop application for synchrotron beamline instrument control, data acquisition, and live analysis at the Advanced Light Source (ALS). Built on Python and Qt, it provides a native graphical interface for operating beamline hardware, configuring and executing experimental scans, and visualizing results in real time. Key features include direct integration with EPICS control systems, a built-in electronic logbook, remote beamline access over secure tunnels, and an interprocess communication (IPC) architecture that coordinates with external analysis applications via ZMQ and EPICS process variables. This IPC approach allows Lightfall to orchestrate specialized analysis tools—including GPU-accelerated streaming correlators—without embedding them, avoiding the dependency conflicts common in monolithic scientific software platforms. Compared to prior approaches such as Xi-CAM's plugin-based architecture, Lightfall's design cleanly separates instrument control from domain-specific analysis, enabling feedback-driven acquisition where live analysis results can adjust scan parameters during an experiment. Its native Qt interface provides responsive performance for real-time data visualization that web-based alternatives struggle to match. Lightfall is designed for use by beamline scientists and staff operating synchrotron instruments at national user facilities.

Pandolfi, Ronald [Lawrence Berkeley National Labor↗

Federal USS Synthesis Effort: 2023 Flight Test Report. A NASA and Department of Defense Joint Evaluation of Multi-Domain Airspace Integration

In recent years, advancements in technology have greatly improved the utility and applicability of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) and have highlighted the need for and importance of UAS Traffic Management (UTM). Onboard sense and avoid systems, ground-based sensors, and long- range command and control (C2) systems have significantly expanded the possibilities for UAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. Initially, research on UTM flights focused on their interactions with other UTM operations, but that has since been expanded to include interactions with the flight profiles of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and upper Class E Traffic Management (ETM) operations. Recognizing the potential of these systems and the increase in UAS autonomy, the Department of Defense (DoD) is working towards integrating these missions and systems into a unified DoD Federal ecosystem. The Federal USS Synthesis Effort (FUSE) aims to develop a live system that can efficiently combine this wide range of UTM, AAM, and ETM systems, thus enabling expanded operations within a single common operating environment. The goal of the Federal USS Synthesis Effort (FUSE) is for NASA and the DoD to develop a live system that can efficiently combine UTM, AAM, and ETM systems. The most recent endeavor in this effort was a live flight test conducted near Grand Forks Air Force Base in June, 2023, where the FUSE ecosystem successfully demonstrated integrating UTM, AAM, and ETM operations while providing a single, shared COP to users. Additional investigations were made during the test, including assessing the usefulness of the system and its capability to support UAS weighing over 55 lbs.; testing user messaging capabilities and a DoD adaptation of a Federal USS; and assessing user workload, automated vs manual control, and the usability of NASA’s XTMClient.

Federal USS↗

Application of advanced computing techniques to the analysis and display of space science measurements

A prototype system has been developed to aid the experimental space scientist in the display and analysis of spaceborne data acquired from direct measurement sensors in orbit. We explored the implementation of a rule-based environment for semi-automatic generation of visualizations that assist the domain scientist in exploring one's data. The goal has been to enable rapid generation of visualizations which enhance the scientist's ability to thoroughly mine his data. Transferring the task of visualization generation from the human programmer to the computer produced a rapid prototyping environment for visualizations. The visualization and analysis environment has been tested against a set of data obtained from the Hot Plasma Composition Experiment on the AMPTE/CCE satellite creating new visualizations which provided new insight into the data.

Klumpar, D. M.↗

Towards AI Based Data Classification for Decision Making During Testing

During the development of high-consequence items, test systems should be capable of differentiating between test failures resulting from narrowly missing requirements versus those indicating potentially catastrophic faults. In many instances, classifying the data corresponds to simply identifying whether measured waveforms have approximately the anticipated shape. Cast in this light, the problem reduces to converting raw data into a form optimal for use with neural network classifiers. This manuscript investigates different means of representing raw data for image classification. Raw data plots and Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) spectrograms are classified by both custom built, small-scale, Convolution Neural Networks (CNN) and open-source, multi-million parameter, pre-trained deep CNNs. In the case of time varying frequency content, the STFTs provide images with greater detail and can be accurately classified with simpler networks. This requires less memory and runs faster than classifying the raw data using the more sophisticated options—making STFTs optimal for applications with memory constraints. STFTs are not a panacea. In some cases the time-domain signal contains useful information that should not be discarded. Rather than using raw data or STFTs, the images can be constructed from both by using red and green channels of an RGB image to visualize the real and imaginary components of the transform, with the raw data occupying the blue channel.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Synthetic and Enhanced Vision System for Altair Lunar Lander

Past research has demonstrated the substantial potential of synthetic and enhanced vision (SV, EV) for aviation (e.g., Prinzel & Wickens, 2009). These augmented visual-based technologies have been shown to significantly enhance situation awareness, reduce workload, enhance aviation safety (e.g., reduced propensity for controlled flight -into-terrain accidents/incidents), and promote flight path control precision. The issues that drove the design and development of synthetic and enhanced vision have commonalities to other application domains; most notably, during entry, descent, and landing on the moon and other planetary surfaces. NASA has extended SV/EV technology for use in planetary exploration vehicles, such as the Altair Lunar Lander. This paper describes an Altair Lunar Lander SV/EV concept and associated research demonstrating the safety benefits of these technologies.

Prinzell, Lawrence J., III↗

Application of frequency domain handling qualities criteria to the longitudinal landing task

Under NASA sponsorship, an in-flight simulation of the longitudinal handling qualities of several configurations for the approach and landing tasks was performed on the USAF/AFWAL Total In-Flight Simulator by the Calspan Corporation. The basic configuration was a generic transport airplane with static instability. The control laws included proportional plus integral gain loops to produce pitch-rate and angle-of-attack feedback loops. The evaluation task was a conventional visual approach to a flared touchdown at a designated spot on the runway with a lateral offset. The general conclusions were that the existing criteria are based on pitch-attitude response and that these characteristics do not adequately discriminate between the good and bad configurations of this study. This paper describes the work that has been done to further develop frequency-based criteria in an effort to provide better correlation with the observed data.

Sarrafian, S. K.↗